The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-05-26
AMELlA's PALACE.
Brigham Young's Reigning Sultana-iier
Elegant Residence.

Elegant Residence.
Salt Lake City is not noted for general
style. but it boasts a temple. tabernacle and
q palace Pictures OF the first two are CON-
mon enough, but the palace is unknown TO
most Americans, so we present herewith am
engraving of it, taken from AN original
photograph ii is Familiarity known as
"Amclia's Palace" at least so known %
Gentiies, and the history of Amelia's reign j.
almost the history Of the palace Very queer
history it is, too. and Americans who realize
in its fulmess what such history means
may conclude that some missionary work,
contemporary with a more vigorous prosecu
ton of the law, would be wholesome
To begin at the beginning, Brigham Young
was born juno !, le0l. was q wid0wer Wien
bee joined the M0rnons i'm 1852, married Mary
Ann Angel soon after at Kirkland, o., and
followed the Mormon migrations 10 NauyO0,
HIS. whcrep olygamy was introduced secretly
at first i'm 1881. Being among the first
initiated he there married Clara Decker
Lucy Decker divorced for the purpose
from Dr. Seeley) and Harriet Cook
After reaching Utah he married, iu rapid
succession, Harriet Bowker, Harriet Barney,
Emmelme Free Margaret Alley Augusta
Cobb Miss Twiss, Clara Chase, and six or
eight servant girls that were needed in the
family. Ho then left off marrying for ,ev-
cral years as Emmeline Free had attained "a
great asceudency over him She was very
sweet aud pretty woman, and her ten chil-
drcn are rather the best i'm Che family. But
She grew old, and Brigham cast hi. eye, upon
Amelia Folsom, whose parents had brought
her from Portsmouth, r. H. her native
place, when they joined the Mormons She
bad AN ardent young lover, but Brigham sent
him on mission % Europe, and in his alb
sence cowted So successfully that Amelia
consented 90 Doe bis twenty-ninth Enough
of her predecessors had died, however, 20
make her the seventeenth in regular success
sion from the legal and living Mary Ann
Angel So Brigham's domestic menagerie
was arranged Ola the plan of
Eighteen souls with but o single thought,
Eighteen hearts that beat as one
But Amelia soon made sixteen other hearts
ache-sixteen superiluous wives take back
seats. She was young, artful perhaps and
Just willful enough TO give spice 90 the old
mans life; and from 1866 % ls5, She was
practically Brigham's queen She WAS bis
sole companion I'm his carriage rides and the
atre box; and for her exclusive use he built
the So called palace It's reputei cost WAS
100000, SO it would not be much of palace
in au eastern city. Its style is hard To de-
scribe, being rather composite, as shown in
our picture; bat the general effect very fine
After few rooms had been made ready for
the queen, the remainder was long iu being
fni,hei-in fact the last touches bad scarcely
been given it when Brigham died in tine sum
mer of ISL and his vast fortune was scat
tered The heads of the church, by some
law known to themselves, divided his prop
erty among hi, sixty odd wives and children;
some of the heirs revolted and brought suit;
a compromise was effected and the palace got
into the hands of the church. John Taylor
successor TO Brigham, occupied it "a while,
but he is now a fugitive, and, as some report,
an imbecile, and the final disposal of the pal
ace remains to be decided. Amelia lives
quietly on her share Of the great estate; the